


pretender pretending

by hellodeer



Category: The Book of Mormon - Parker/Stone/Lopez
Genre: Gen, Mentions of homophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-25
Updated: 2013-12-25
Packaged: 2018-01-06 00:39:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1100411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellodeer/pseuds/hellodeer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In Uganda, McKinley looks over his shoulder all the time</p>
            </blockquote>





	pretender pretending

In Uganda, after the silly, rebellious decision of staying anyway after they were shut down, McKinley looks over his shoulder all the time. His heart hammers inside his chest, because if the people in the village find out he dreams about boys, their rough hands traveling down his body, their bony knees knocking against his, their sharp teeth biting into his flesh, then, well, that’s it.

(The Book of Arnold tells of love and friendship and acceptance, but at the end of the day it’s not going to last much more, the flames of enthusiasm dying down, and before they came there was another religion, one that said homosexuality was wrong and a sin, not very different from the one they were assigned here to preach.)

One day, the doctor overhears Elder Thomas whining about missing his fiancé, her baby blue eyes and her laugh like pearl, and asks McKinley if he, too, has a Mormon girl waiting for him.

McKinley shrugs and does not tell him about his dad’s best friend’s daughter, whose name begins with an E, who he has played since childhood with, and danced awkward school dances with, stepping on her toes; who smiles brightly, who was his first kiss, who looks at him like he hung the moon and the stars in the sky, blushingly tucks her hair behind her ear and ducks her head, who he loves like he loves his sisters.

Another day, Nabulungi, the heat making her skin shiny with sweat as they’re sitting on her doorstep, sighs and says, “Elder Price is so dreamy,” all matter-of-factly, because she loves Arnold too much to consider anyone else.

McKinley sighs too, uncomfortable in his sticky shirt, pants rolled up to his knees, unthinkingly lets the words fall from his mouth: “He is.”

Nabulungi stares at him, her expression suddenly closed off and dark, until he adds “Apparently. That’s what all the girls say anyway,” attempting a snort. After a beat or two she nods, hugs her legs to her chest and talks about Arnold, while McKinley pretends to listen, nods, draws shapes on the dirt ground with a stick, feels his heart sink, fears for his life.


End file.
